The discussion about some expansions being a waste of time got me thinking. Yeah some expansions (Arkham horror I'm looking at you) just seemed to be created to be a cash grab, in other words the game didn't really need an expansion (Arkham DID need some tweaks, but not the 4 expansions it currently has).
Hmmm, controversial but both Cities & Seafarers of Catan were good expansions to me. Ditto on the Expansion Cards. I'm not sure of Traders & Barbarians (I haven't played it yet).
Carcassonne - the Inns & Cathedrals expansion was good.
Descent - Well of Darkness and Road to Legend are both great. Well to fix some of the problems and the introduction of treachery cards. Road 'cause of the campaign system.
WoW the Board Game Shadows of War - fixed a lot of issues of the main game. Still doesn't make the game great (still too slow), but it fixed a lot of issues. So as an expansion, great!
I've heard that "Shattered Empires" is an important expansion for Twilight Imperium, if only because it fixes some wonkiness in the mission cards. But I haven't played them.
__________________ "I despise all weavers of the black arts. Speaking of which, can you pass the gravy?"
Carcassonne: Hunter's and Gatherers. The five card "roles" expansion. Gives each player a special power or special tile. Its a simple expansion, but its a nice way to open up the game a bit. And unlike regular Carcassonne, its not the first step down a path of never ending expansion purchases.
Zooloretto. The Aquaretto expansion/new game. Its kind of both. Its a stand alone game that's compatible with the original. If you like Zooloretto, and want to try it as a heavier game instead of a family game, you'll like the combination game.
Transamerica. The expansion that gives you colored train tracks that only you can use. This allows more tactical play. Now you can estimate where you think your opponents are hoping that you'll go, and try to make it harder on them to use your lines. Its a whole extra level of analysis.
Cash & Guns: Any expansions. Basically they add more cash, different guns (and knives, etc, etc), and more superpowers. If you use Cash & Guns for pickup games with nongamers who are unlikely to play it more than once every year or so, then you don't need expansions. If you play with gamers, get expansions.
I've heard that "Shattered Empires" is an important expansion for Twilight Imperium, if only because it fixes some wonkiness in the mission cards. But I haven't played them.
It is pretty much essential. It is a really fantastic expansion, well worth getting. The new mission and objective cards make for an excellent game.
Carcassonne - Any expansion, even if you only use it for the extra tiles, the later expansions have more super-farm breaking tiles.
Phaezen
Of the Carcassonne expansions, it is well worth getting the following:
* Inns and Cathedrals
* Traders and Builders
* Abbey and Mayor
Both Princess and Dragon and The Tower are worth avoiding; I do enjoy them, but The Tower is especially random.
Note that I use the current German rules rather than the out-of-date English rules; they do a lot better for farms. Basically, you treat each field separately and score 3 points for each completed city adjacent to it, points accruing to the player who has the most farmers in the field.
Carcassonne: Hunter's and Gatherers. The five card "roles" expansion. Gives each player a special power or special tile. Its a simple expansion, but its a nice way to open up the game a bit. And unlike regular Carcassonne, its not the first step down a path of never ending expansion purchases.
It's the "Scout" part of the "King & Scout" expansion.
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Transamerica. The expansion that gives you colored train tracks that only you can use. This allows more tactical play. Now you can estimate where you think your opponents are hoping that you'll go, and try to make it harder on them to use your lines. Its a whole extra level of analysis.
Linear Mode
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